OBJECTIVE
10 mi.@ 7:53

ACHIEVED
10.03 mi.@ 7:56

6:00 AM 76° 81% 0 mph

Pretty happy with this morning's run. Wasn't feeling great physically or mentally before the run or during the first mile but was able to shake it off and turn it into a good run. Using the "Ryan Hall training method" (a/k/a letting God tell me what my workout should be), I somehow decided I'd break today's run into 5 2-mile blocks. Block 1 would be real easy as I would just be waking up and loosening up. Block 2 would be the average of whatever the Block 1 overall pace was and the goal pace of 7:53. Block 3 would be at 7:53 goal pace. At that point, I'd see how I was feeling. I'd either try to hold 7:53 the remaining 4 miles or, if I was feeling good, I'd try knocking off some time by going faster over Block 4 and even faster over Block 5 while targeting the overall 7:53 pace as the ultimate outcome for the total 10 miles.

Block 1 - 8:45/mi.
This was the start where I was feeling rather demotivated. I was just easing into it. I also realized during this stretch that if I held to the plan, I might end up having to run 7 minute miles over the last 2 miles. That didn't seem likely at this point.

Block 2 - 8:13/mi.
The math was pretty easy ((8:45 - 7:53) ÷ 2) + 7:53 = 8:19. So my target pace over this 2-mile stretch was 8:19. I started feeling pretty good and the pace was coming easier as I picked up so I ended up a bit faster than plan. I started feeling a little like I did on last Saturday's run - everything ahead of me was "close" and easily attainable.

Block 3 - 7:53/mi.
The plan was 7:53 and I hit 7:53. Of course, I hit the 5-mile midpoint during this block and took a 3-minute stop for fuel - orange-flavored FRS chews.

Block 4 - 7:20/mi.
I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do at this point. I was feeling pretty good and 7:53 was coming easy. The ChampionsFit runners were running shorter today and had all made the turn and were headed back. This put a bunch of runners ahead of me to pick off. Spontaneously, I decided I'd throw in a surge and see how I felt. I realized that if I took it in at 7:15 the rest of the way that I'd average something close to my 7:53 goal. The surge felt good but was having an impact. Around midway through this block, I stopped at the neighborhood clubhouse for water. The break obviously helped me sustain the pace when I started again.

Block 5 - 7:31/mi.
This last leg was work. The surge had tapped out my reserves so I was holding on. Told myself that any pace faster than the overall goal of 7:53 was fine. Still had runners ahead of me serving as targets to be picked off. This helped a lot.

Glad to be finished. The idea that my long runs will be completed on tired legs seemed to be the case today. (I'm sure I've seen nothing yet.)

At some point, I really need to race. I need a gauge of where I'm at in this process.

PRE RUN
weight=163.0
body fat=22.2%
water & oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

POST RUN
SlimFast

OBJECTIVE
6 mi.

ACHIEVED
6 mi.@ 8:06

5:27 AM 75° 81% 1 mph

Easy run from the house. Got lucky with yesterday's flight. All ORD-IAH flights were delayed 3-4 hours throughout the day. I was scheduled on the 5:10 PM. Hustled to the airport, jumped through a few loops and got myself on the 3:15 PM which ended up departing a little after 6 PM. Although this wasn't ideal, it could have been much, much worse.

Legs felt a bit weary today. Long run tomorrow.

PRE RUN
weight=163.5
body fat=22.1%

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

45 minutes on Hyatt treadmill this morning. 1% incline. Recovery run. It was raining this morning so I elected to stay indoors. Do I need to mention I don't trust treadmills' mileage/pace calibration? It was probably good for me to stay in. I was feeling a bit beat up and worn down after yesterday's run. Treadmill is just easier physically (but harder mentally ... for me).
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Objective
5 mi. Tempo @ 6:50/

Achieved
WU 7:21 min.
5 mi.@ 6:51/
CD 7:05 min.

Total time = 48:46
Total distance = ~6.56 mi.

5:03 AM

Was it the heat? Have my life's stressors just caught up with me? Was it simply an off day? What about the ramp up in training volume and intensity? Or could the reality be that my lactate threshold pace has slipped from a peak of faster than 6:39 to something north of 6:50?

Just a few of the questions chasing themselves around in my head today as I made a mockery of this scheduled 5-mile tempo run by essentially turning it into mile repeats with significant breaks in between each.

It was very warm this morning. My Blackberry app said it was 81F in Chicago as I left the hotel.

I am pretty stressed primarily with work but not insignificantly with trying to get our house ready to sell, and trying to buy or lease in Chicago.

Pre run
-

Post run
Chocolate milk
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OBJECTIVE
warm up
2 x .75 mi. & 2 x .50 mi. @ 6:15/mi. w/active recoveries
cool down

ACHIEVED
WU
2 x .75 mi. (6:15, 6:17)
2 x .50 mi. (6:17, 6:26)
CD

total time = 51:53
total distance = 6.12 mi.

4:46 AM 75° 82% 0 mph

Surprise! I got over to the Klein High track this morning and found the gates locked and the track torn up. Apparently it's being resurfaced. This was certainly a wrench in the works for which I wasn't planning. Decided to run the intervals on the road along the Cochet Spring Loop figuring it would give me approximately the distance I needed. I left my fuel belt and shirt behind a sign announcing entrance into a neighborhood and ventured off. I wasn't thrilled about being on the roads for speed work especially in my Saucony Fastwitch flats.

I was playing catch up throughout the workout - surging at the end to almost hit my goal times. I was usually close except for the final half mile. I think the surge required the previous half took a little too much out of me to recover from. I still need to get a handle on my recoveries. I think I'm jogging them a little too fast. Slowing down a little more would give me more recovery time while keeping my heart rate going. I don't think this would jeopardize the quality of the workout at all.

I hope the track renovation wraps up soon!

PRE RUN
weight=165.5
body fat=22.7%
Amino Vital lemon powder w/water

POST RUN
SlimFast & fig newton

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. easy

ACHIEVED
6.20 mi.@ 8:21

5:13 AM 74° 78% 1 mph

Pretty sluggish today - not surprising given the week's build up. Finally loosened up over the last couple miles.

PRE RUN
weight=164.5
body fat=22.8%
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/almonds, brown sugar & skim milk